An Afghan policeman may have shot dead a British female medic and a Royal
Marine after he was mistaken for an insurgent and fired upon, according to
reports.

A Royal Marine and a British female soldier were shot dead in the incident on Wednesday. A member of the Afghan police was also killed in the exchange of gunfire in Helmand. The Ministry of Defence is now investigating whether the policeman opened fire first.

The Taliban claimed a member of the Afghan forces had opened fire on the British in what would have been the latest in a spate of “green on blue” attacks which have sown deep distrust between the allies.

But an account has emerged, reported by The Times, which claims the shooting was triggered by a case of mistaken identity.

Haji Toryali, chief of police of Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, told the newspaper that an Afghan policeman who was out of uniform but carrying a can, was near his checkpoint, when a Nato patrol thought he was a memebr of the Taliban and started shooting at him.

The other Afghan policemen then assumed they were under attack and started shooting back, which made the Nato troops shoot more.

The marine from 40 Commando and the servicewoman from 3 Medical Regiment were on a foot patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province when the shooting took place.

The Ministry of Defence said it remained unclear who had opened fire first or what were the exact circumstances of yesterday’s incident.

A spokesman said: “On 24 October 2012, during a UK foot patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province there was an exchange of gunfire that resulted in the deaths of a Royal Marine from 40 Commando Royal Marines, a female soldier from 3 Medical Regiment and an Afghan man who is believed to be a member of the Afghan Uniformed Police but who was not wearing uniform at the time.

“The UK patrol were not working with any Afghan partners at the time.

“At this stage we do not know what initiated the exchange of gunfire and an investigation is ongoing.

“Further details will be provided as information becomes available but at this time the situation remains unclear.”

Separately, the US military also said today that two of its service members had been killed in an apparent insider attack by an Afghan police officer.

A man wearing an Afghan police uniform turned his weapon on U.S. service members in Uruzgan province.

US forces spokesman Maj. Lori Hodge says the attack happened before noon on Thursday. It was not clear if the attacker was an enlisted police officer or an insurgent disguised as a police officer.

The statement says the attack is being investigated.

The killings brought the UK’s military death toll during the Afghan conflict to 435 and the number of British servicewomen killed there to three.

The female medic was understood to be 25 years old and from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Military officials said they were continuing to investigate the deaths, following conflicting reports of what had happened.

The British fatalities were initially believed to have been shot dead by Taliban insurgents.

But other reports then emerged suggesting they may have been killed by an Afghan policeman or soldier in an insider attack.

Meanwhile, an Afghan police official said that the deaths were believed to have been caused by friendly fire when a British unit fired on another in a case of mistaken identity.

Farid Ahmad Farhang, a spokesman for the police in Helmand, said two British patrols had been in the area and one had stumbled upon an Afghan policeman washing for prayer at a stream.

They had mistaken him for a Taliban fighter and shot him dead. The firing had caused the other patrol to fear it was under attack and had opened fire, accidentally killing the two British, he claimed.

Officers were hoping to determine what had happened when they debriefed the patrol later today, but some of the witnesses are believed to have been wounded themselves.

The families of both British Armed Forces members have been informed of their deaths.

Major Laurence Roche said: “This is dreadful news for all of us serving in Afghanistan. Our sincere condolences go to their families, friends and colleagues at this time of grief.”

A spokesman for the international military coalition in Kabul said: “We can confirm that a British Royal Marine and a British soldier died of wounds sustained while they were on patrol. We are working to confirm the details."